Everyone will take different messages away from the 1993 MRG Conference, but we have attempted to isolate at least a few consistent themes and opinions – some with possible short term implications; others much longer term and likely to affect lifestyle as well as business.
THE FUTURE
It appears to be a rosy picture if you are in media research or planning – information is likely to become even more important as media continues to expand and fragment. The perceived value of British TV bringing local, relevant programming will grow as international programming fills the satellite services, but audiences to terrestrial channels are bound to drop with greater choice.
There may be virtually no mass advertising medium left, except perhaps the sponsorship of major national or international events, and the conference almost unanimously expected the BBC to remain advertising free throughout its next charter period.
The future of national press into the next decade sees a possible blurring of the distinction between print and vision, which will surely lead to more cross-media partnerships.
For magazines, even greater specialisation could yet be the order of the day, although the mass market titles are currently holding up well.
Globally, media may come to be dominated by the communications giants, not the large audio-visual companies. If it really is practical to send video signals down existing cable lines, (and tests look positive), then control of this will be key, and cable will overtake satellite as the prime information and entertainment carrier.
SHORT-TERM
The domestic picture is of a few innovative projects, led by agency partnerships or, occasionally, by media owners.
The NRS remains under fire. Agencies believe it needs to examine its committee structure, its basis for calculating readership and its content. BARB has come through similar times, and is now firing back – the extra requested audiences are not being used.
More detail within the NRS (priority is readership of newspaper sections) would probably mean more cost. Nobody is volunteering to pay, so the numbers of ad-hoc research projects or those based on vested interests (but still often very usable) will continue to grow. Realistically if you won’t pay more, you can’t complain.
However, is there too much research? Should the industry cut back and re- appraise before going forward?
Research into new markets does seem to be bought and appreciated – witness Youth TGI’s impact.
Overseas, the example from Spain is of TV buyers using real market information not a dated currency of station price; and in the USA TV research is behind our own, and very unwilling to come up with more funding.
